Filling The Void: Miracle In June

Having a hard time with this whole “social distancing” thing? Yeah – us too. Especially when it comes to the lack of sports. So, we here at The Turf thought we’d offer a way to help ease the pain and suffering. While we may not have any of the current sports leagues to watch live, there is PLENTY of archive footage available at our fingertips. We’ve scoured the internet and assembled some of the most iconic, noteworthy and remarkable sporting events we could find. We also found some mundane, run of the mill matches and contests, that seemed banal at first watch. However, at this point, we’ll take anything that resembles sports, right? Each day, we’ll feature one of the contests and provide you a link where you can relive the glory, exhilaration, and thrill from the comfort of your couch.

Today: Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals: Ray Allen’s Shot

Hot Take here, but this is possibly the most entertaining Finals game in the history of the NBA. It had literally everything a fan could ask for. Controversial no-calls, absolutely stacked teams, fans leaving early and not being allowed back in, a game-tying three pointer, and Mike Breen screaming BANG!

While we’re all at home during this difficult time, we wanted to bring you some historic NBA action to lift your spirits.

Let’s paint the scene a bit here. It’s June 17th, 2013 and the Miami Heat are facing elimination in the NBA Finals hosting the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6. In the Home corner we have, The Heatles, led by the Big 3 of James, Bosh and Wade, had a historic season that year finishing 66-16 atop the entire NBA while going on a 27 game win streak. The second longest in NBA History. All sparked by the additions of the Birdman and Ray Allen.

In the Opposing corner we have, Tried and True, The Spurs! A team many view as being the greatest dynasty the NBA has ever seen. The Spurs were the same dominant force in 2013 that they always were with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli. Except this year they had a new breakout star, Kawhi Leonard. That’s right folks, this was the world’s introduction to the Klaw. At 21 years old, this was his first Finals appearance, and he was on the brink of taking home his first title.

GAMETIME IN SOUTH BEACH!

Down 3-2 in the series, the American Airlines arena was packed with fans in White Hot Heat shirts. The White Out was big for the Heat in the Big 3 era. I still own two of those shirts from attending play-off games. Anyway, let’s get back on track here. It’s easy to tell how anxious this game makes the fans down in South Beach. I mean, if the Heat lose this game it will be the end of the Big 3 era and largely viewed as a failed experiment. A lot was on the line in this one.

The Game Gets Wild

By the end of the third quarter the Spurs have opened up a 13 point lead and hope is beginning to dwindle. Enter Lebron James. Up to this point Lebron had paced the team quietly. Then the 4th quarter happened. He erupted, and with the help of some key blocks by Chris Bosh and a shoeless Mike Miller, the Heat erased the deficit. If you don’t remember Mike Miller hitting a huge three with one shoe on, you need to re-watch this game for that moment alone. It’s electric!

With two minutes left the heat lead 89-86. That is until the Spurs go on an 8-0 run to take a five point lead with 28 seconds left. Queue the fans leaving the arena. HUGE MISTAKE! If you’re a Heat fan like myself, the next 28 seconds are the greatest seconds of any sporting event you’ve ever seen. The Spurs rotate Tim Duncan in and out of the lineup four times, and both times he is out, Miami strikes. Lebron hits a three to put it within two. Kawhi misses a free throw, and then IT HAPPENS.

Legends Never Die

Trust me, if anything, you’ll want to re-watch this sequence. I’ve seen it a million times and still get chills. I also think the call by Mike Breen is peak play-by-play. “Lebron from three…won’t go…rebound Bosh, back out to Allen. His three pointer…BANG!!!!” I was watching this on my phone in my apartment in Harlem and instantly threw my phone in my excitement. It was the best play I’ve ever witnessed.

As much as Ray Allen gets most of the credit, it’s important to remember that Chris Bosh had the rebound and assist that made the play happen. Maybe we should blame Popovich for not having Tim Duncan in the game. Who knows! What I do know is that this is an epic game to watch to help pass the time.

A Florida Boy who now calls LA his home now! In my free time all I do is watch sports and look up stats. I love all things college football, especially my beloved Miami Hurricanes! I also partake in my fair share of Fantasy Football and Basketball.